Sheffield United: Blades stars bring smiles to hospitals with Christmas visit to Jessop and Northern General
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Sheffield’s United players swapped Bramall Lane for the Jessop Wing maternity hospital and the Princess Royal Spinal Centre at the Northern General Hospital, bringing gifts with them, and even joined in with a wheelchair sports event.
Jordan Amissah, John Egan, Amel Ahmedhoozic, Matt Duke and Tamara Wilcock visited the Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit at Jessops Maternity Wing, with a tour from matron Claire Howard and Sheffield Hospitals Charity- funded family support assistant Holly Fearn.
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Hide AdFamily members with new-borns in the unit met the players and had their babies first football photos taken. Gifts were given to babies and families on the ward.
There was an emotional visit to the newly refurbished Bereavement Suite, where staff talked the players through the services offered to families at an incredibly difficult time. The suite was improved thanks to funds raised via the charity.
A second visit took place at the Princess Royal Spinal Cord Injuries Centre at the Northern General.
Charity and NHS staff were joined by players Daniel Jebbison, Ben Osborn, James McAtee, Tommy Doyle, manager Paul Heckingbottom and first team coach Jack Lester.
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Hide AdThey chatted to patients, and matron Jane Coates led the tour where the team learnt about the specialist support, therapies and care given at the unit.
A physio sports session was taking place in the sports hall with a broad range of patients, all with different ages and abilities. The players asked if they could get involved, and each took to a wheelchair and joined in a game with the patients.
Sam Earnshaw head of corporate partnerships at Sheffield Hospitals Charity said, “To say it made their day was an understatement. It made mine too and was just wonderful to watch. The lads really were fantastic.”
Shef ield Hospitals Charity is the official charity for the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust.
Offering help and assistance to the Northern General Hospital, Jessop Maternity Wing, the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Charles Clifford Dental Hospital and Weston Park Cancer Hospital.